Lugha mbalimbali hutumiwa kwa minajili ya mawasiliano nchini Kenya. Miongoni mwazo ni: lugha asili ambazo hutumiwa na makabila mbalimbali, Kiswahili na Kiingereza. Hali hii huzua mazingira ya wingi lugha. Katika mazingira ya wingi lugha, watu hupendelea lugha tofauti tofauti katika matumizi yao kutcgemea kundi kabila na mielekeo yao kwa lugha hizo. Ruwaza tofauti 7.a matumizi ya lugha basi zinaweza kuibuka. Ni kwa mujibu huu ambapo utafiti huu ulitathmini jinsi ukabila na mielekeo ya wanafunzi huathiri uteuzi wa lugha katika muktadha wa wingi lugha. Mtafili alikisla kwamba, ukabila na mielckeo kwa lugha ni muhimu katika uteuzi wa lugha katika jzimii zenye wingi lugha. Pia kwamba, kuna uhusiano baina ya ukabila, miclckeo na ruwaza za matumizi ya lugha. Nadharia ya kitendo kilichofikiriwa na nadharia ya utambulisho wa kicthnoisimu ziliongoza utafiti huu. Utafiti ulifanyika miongoni mwa wanafunzi wa Chuo kikuu cha Egerton. Washiriki tisini na rniktadha minane iliyohusisha hali zisizo rasmi iliteuliwa kwa njia iliyoazimiwa. Wanafunzi walipewa hoj aji wazijaze kibinafsi. Mlcabala wa kiethnografia uliohusisha uchunguzi shiriki na mkabala wa kinyanja uliohusisha hojaji, ulitumika kukusanya deta. Deta ilichanganuliwa kupitia mtindo wa kitakwimu wa tarakilishi. Uchanganuzi ulikuwa wa kimaelezo. Katika matokeo, ilibainika kuwa vyuo vikuu ni viunzi vidogo vya jamii nzima ya Kenya. Matokeo haya yalielekeza katika ukweli kwamba, kuna lugha nyingi zinazotumiwa na wanafunzi katika shughuli zao za kila siku. Pili kuna ruwaza bainifu za matumizi ya lugha vyuoni. Lugha ya Kiswahili inatumika na kupendelewa sana katika vyumba vya maakuli, uwanjani, na katika sherehe za kuzaliwa. Katika vikundi vya wanafunzi wakiota jua, mchanganyiko wa lugha ya Kiswahili na lugha ya Kiingereza ulitumika. Vile vile, ilidhihirika kwamba, kuna kuchanganya lugha. Zaidi ya hayo, ilibainika kuwa, rnielekeo ya wanafunzi kwa lugha wanazozitumia na pia utambulisho wao wa kiethnoisimu unaathiri uteuzi na maturnizi ya lugha. Mielekeo ya wanafunzi kwa lugha wanazozitumia ilibainika kuwa changamani. Lugha zilizoshirikishwa katika utafiti zilibainika kuwa Zina maeneo mahususi ambamo zinatumiwa ugugunduzi ambao ulibainisha kupendwa na hivyo kuteuliwa kwa lugha mbalimbali katika maeneo tofauti tofauti. Hata hivyo, kwa ujumla, lugha ya Kiingereza ilibainika kupendwa na kutumika zaidi na Wanafunzi. Ufaharnu huu utawafaa walimu Wa lugha pamoja na wanaounda na kutekeleza sera za lugha ikizingatiwa kuwa, ufahamu ndio hatua ya mwanzo katika kutenda na kutimiza jarnbo. Pia, tasnifu hii itaongezea ujuzi maridhawa katika uwanja wa Isimujamii hususan lugha, ukabila na mielekeo.
Various languages are used for communication in Kenya. Among them are: first languages that are used by different ethnic groups, Kiswahili and English. This creates an environment of linguistic diversity. In multilingual situations where many languages are in use, people embrace and use different languages depending on their ethnicity and attitude towards such languages. As a result, different patterns of language use may emerge. It is in this respect that this research sought to find out how students’ ethnicity and attitude affect language choice in a multilingual context. The research premised that, ethnicity and attitudes are central to language choice in situations of lingmistic diversity. The research hypothesized that there are many languages in use and that there is a co-relation between ethnicity, attitudes and pattems of language use. Reasoned Action Theory and Etlmolinguistic Identity Theory fonned the theoretical framework of this research. The research was done among students of Egerton University. Ninety participants and eight informal contexts were selected purposively. Ethnographic approach involving participatory observation and survey method that involved questionnaire schedules was used to collect data. Data was analysed descriptively by use of statistical package for social sciences that generated percentage rates and fiequency tables. In the findings, it emerged that universities are a representation of the Kenyan community. Further, that students use at least three languages in their day to day activities. These findings confirmed the presence of specific pattems of language use. Kiswahili language is widely used un the dimiing halls, in the field and in birthday parties. In the basking context, it was found that students use a mixture of Kiswahli and English. First languages are popular in the hostels and when the students are talking to shopkeepers who are from their ethnic background. Further it emerged that students’ attitude towards the languages they use and their ethnolinguistic identity, influence the choice of a language. Even though it was found that students generally have a positive attitude towards English language, every language considered in this research was found to have specific domains in which it is used. This study is expected to increase awareness and consciousness of how ethnicity and attitude contribute to language choice in multilingual contexts among language teachers and language policy implimenters. This is vital since consciousness is the first step towards action. The findings are expected to add significantly to the existing body of knowledge in Sociolinguistics especially on language, ethnicity and attitude.
